Upcoming Performances

Move over Donna: summer’s close belongs to the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony (BARS)! The hottest gem of San Francisco Bay Area will showcase the cooling and contemplative music of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Vivaldi on Saturday, September 13 at 8PM at the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Like the setting of the summer’s sun, the Rainbow Symphony’s 65 musicians will color the night’s air first with the vibrant Leonore Overture no. 3 by Beethoven, the tranquil “Nocturne” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn, the meditative Symphony no. 8 “Unfinished” by Schubert and, lastly, the haunting Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave) by Mendelssohn. The evening also stars principle bassoonist Thomas Hill as soloist in Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in B Flat Major “La Notte.” Hill, who’s visual art and sculpture has been commissioned by BBC and Hyatt Hotel Group, has performed around the world, locally with the San Francisco State University Orchestra, and is thrilled for his BARS and Conservatory premiere this September. All guests are invited to a free wine reception with the musicians following the concert.

The BARS musicians from across the San Francisco Bay area are led by internationally acclaimed guest maestro Daniel Canosa. The Argentina-born conductor is considered one of the best of his generation and has led orchestras and choruses in Argentina, the United States, and Europe, including the highly praised Conjunto Egmont, Apollo Orchestra, Auburn Symphony Orchestra, and Camilla Symphony Orchestra, among others. In 2001, his all-Beethoven program with the Auburn Symphony received recognition: “Pluck is what it takes to tackle Beethoven… Canosa’s careful conducting shepherded the orchestra in the right directions… [and] proved commanding [in] Symphony No. 7, landing its attacks, severe cutoffs, and varied dynamics like a gymnast in fine form.” (Patricia Beach Smith, Sacramento Bee.) Canosa studied composition and orchestral conducting at the Argentine Catholic University and the Universidad Nacional de La Plata and privately with Sergio Siminovich in Buenos Aires and conductor Nicholas McGegan in Berkeley, California.

The September 13 concert marks BARS début at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall. “The Conservatory’s 400-seat Concert Hall, which opened last year in the school’s new Oak Street digs, proved an ideal acoustical fit for the group (Chanticleer); the sound was clear and crisp throughout, and sight lines are excellent.” (Georgia Rowe, Contra Costa Times.)

The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony strives to provide a safe and supportive environment for musicians of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. The ensemble makes cultural, social, and educational contributions to the San Francisco Bay Area by performing ambitious repertoire to a high standard. Additional information about the ensemble can be found at http://bars-sf.org/.